Writing for this week's Redditch Standard (May 17th), Rachel said:
“This week I took part in a debate in Parliament on the impact of smartphones and social media on children and young people.
A large body of research has linked the amount of screen time such as watching television, playing computer games, and using smartphone apps with negative outcomes for children of all ages. In a school context, using smartphones can be extremely distracting for both pupils and their teachers.
That’s why I welcome new Government guidance which backs head teachers in banning mobile phone use throughout the school day, including at break times, to tackle disruptive behaviour and online bullying while boosting attention during lessons. This is supporting the wider work the Government is doing to raise standards in schools by increasing students’ focus and reducing distractions.
But what more should the Government do in this space to protect children and young people from the harms of spending too much time on their smartphones and on social media?
I’m a mother of four, and although my kids were at school just before smartphones existed, I still had my battles with them over how much time they spent on the internet and playing video games. It wasn’t easy then, and I’m sure it’s now even more difficult for parents whose children have grown up in the age of smartphones and social media.
As we’ve seen with the Government giving schools the go ahead to ban mobile phones, there is a role for Government to play here. But, as a Conservative, I’m clear that not all parental responsibility can be outsourced to the Government when it comes to protecting children and young people from the harms of smartphones and social media. Increased parental responsibility, coupled with Government action is the way forward here.
With this in mind, I’m keen to hear from residents about what more they believe Government should do to protect children from the negative impact of smartphones and social media. Please share your views with me by sending an email to [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.”
